Kapri Bibbs set a rushing record for Colorado State last season. (Hyoung Chang, The Denver Post)
Kapri Bibbs spent only one season at Colorado State, but that was all he needed. A transfer from Front Range Community College, Bibbs rushed for school records of 1,741 yards and 31 touchdowns in 2013, joining Barry Sanders and fellow Bronco running back Montee Ball as the only players to rush for 30 touchdowns in a season.
Bibbs went undrafted in 2014, but () with the Broncos this season.
On Thursday, hours after news broke of , Bibbs, wearing a green Colorado State Rams sweatshirt, sat in the Broncos’ locker room as reporters peppered him with questions about his former college coach.
“I think he had to do what was right for him as far as his career goes,” Bibbs said, . “Obviously, Florida is a rich program and anybody who has an opportunity to coach there should take it. A lot of coaches come to our conference to build a name for themselves so they can get a bigger job. Him going 10-2 won’t be so hard to get him ranked in the top 25. You go 10-2 there and you’ll be in the top six or eight. You can’t be mad at him. It says a lot about our program that other big-time programs respect what we did.”
Bibbs admitted that whoever does take McElwain’s spot will have big shoes to fill. McElwain turned around a program that had gone 3-9 for three consecutive seasons to one that had four, eight and 10 wins in his three years at the helm.
“I think he definitely set the bar,” Bibbs said. “Now the next coach — if it’s (assistant) coach (Tim) Skipper or (offensive coordinator Dave) Baldwin — they’re going to have some great players to work with and they’re going to be held to a high standard now. Because now they know it’s not going to be the players that would cause them to lose; it’s going to be more about the coaching now.”
CSU received $7 million in McElwain’s exit — $5 million in cash and $2 million for a game against Florida — for the largest buyout in college football history.
“Colorado State just lost probably one of the great coaches to coach this game. I think Nick Saban — (Alabama) didn’t bring him in for no reason and keep him around for no reason. So I think Colorado State will struggle a little bit, but when this new coach comes in there, if they can try to implement what coach Mac had in place, I think they’ll have another successful season.”
The college football firing/hiring season has left a number of experienced coaches available to take over, and have already been thrown out as . But Bibbs said he’d like to see it stay in-house.
“I really want to see coach Baldwin stay, because coach Baldwin probably knows this offense at this point better than anybody else,” Bibbs said. “I think if our offense competes at a high level, then they’ll continue to score points like they did this year and when I was there. I think they’ll do great in the (Mountain West) conference and also be able to push teams in the non-conference schedule like they do every year.
Baldwin, 59, was named the Rams’ interim coach for their upcoming bowl game.
“As far as defense,” Bibbs added, “hopefully they get somebody who stays. Coach Skipper — if coach Skip does leave with (McElwain) or if coach Skip decides to stay — I think our defense needs to stay the way it is because you got college kids who are trying to learn defenses. It took the last group in there two years and now it’s finally starting to pay off. You don’t want to have to start these kids over with a whole new defense or a whole new offense. I think we just need to keep everything rolling the way it is and try to stay on that same plan.”
